Pool or billiard cue



Patented Oct. i21, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOI-IN MAGONO, OE' BQSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POOL OR BILLIARD GUE.

Application filed September 12, 1,922. Serial No. 587,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN MAGoNo, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealith of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pool or Billiard Cues, of which the follow! ing is a specification.

This invention relates to pool or billiard cues and has for one of its objects the production of a one, the tip of which is of such construction and arrangement, as to impart the heavy shock of ball impact, to a resilient means to thereby relieve the end of the cue adjacent the top, from the tendency to split which is common in cues at present in use.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the cue at the end thereof that a tip may be positively secured thereto in a removable manner without the use of adhesives.

A further object of the invention is to construct a cue having the above qualities while retaining all the qualities of ball control afforded by the cue now commonly used.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a cue that may be used cont-init ally for long periods of time by the same player without causing weariness from its use as is common to the present day cueE It is a further object of the invention to produce a cue having all the above qualities to accomplish which, but few parts of simple, but durable structure have been used.

Cues as heretofore made, wherein the tip was usually glued to the end of the cue and wherein the cue was not in condition for use for several days during the glue drying process, received the heavy shock of ball impact at the smallest part thereof, least able to stand the strain. It frequently happened that the impact would cause the out to split and become useless. v

Furthermore, continued use of such a cue for long periods caused a weariness difficult to account for excepting that it was due to the transmission of the unrelieved shock of impact from the cue to the hand of the player.

It is also a fact that the process of tipping the old form of cue required one or more days in which to allow the adhesive to set during which time the cue could not be used, which in some instances resulted in a shortage of cues or the necessity of keeping eXtra ones on hand for emergency.

The present invention enables an inexperienced person to retip a cue very rapidly and consequently the cue is not out of commission for that reason many minutes at a time, thereby making a saving as to the number of cues necessary to carry on hand for einen gency cases.

rlfhe present construction also insures a cue that it is a pleasure to use, and that does not impart to the player a feeling of weariness due to the shock of impact being imparted to the hand of the player which is detrimental to the nerves.

Ball control, through the manipulation of the cue is an essential feature of the game, and for best results it is necessary that the tip' be quite firmly backed, but not necessarily solidly backed as at present.

rlfhe present arrangement has been found. to give excellent results in ball control due to the fact that while the tip is quite firmly backed or supported against impact it is not backed wholly by an anvil like surface, but a portion of it has a solid foundation, while another portion is in close, and preferably in slight compressing contact with a comparatively strong spring.

This novel arrangement of combined solid and resilient backing or foundation, enables the cue to perform its usual function with the best of ball control results, with a feel ing of comfort to the playery that is absent in the usual cue.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood from a description of the. drawings and the claim hereinafter given.

Of the drawings:

Figure l represents in side elevation a portion of cue showing the tip receiving end.

Figure 2 a section on the line 2 2 greatly enlarged..

Figure 3 a section on. the line 3 3 Figl ure 2E Figure 4 a view similar to a portion of Figure 2 to be described.

Like characters represent like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The cue l0, a portion of which is herein shown, is generally made of hard and comparatively heavy wood, some kinds of which are more susceptible to splitting than others but all kinds known to be used have been known to split. when tipped as at present. under heavy ball impact such as would occur when the action of breaking the balls happens in the gaine of pool.

The end 1l of the cue 10 is reduced in diameter to forni a shoulder 12 and a ferrnle 18 is secured thereto by adhesive or other means. Prior to attaching the ferrnle a hole is made in the end 11 into which is screwed a stud 14 haring a collar 15 adapted to bear againstthe extreme end of the cnc.

At its free end the said stud is screw threaded at 16 to receire a tip 1'? wl ich has a ball Contact surface 1S and a reduced portion 19 to snugly lit into the open end of said ferrule 13 with the shoulder 20 of said tip bearing against the end of the ferrule 13 which forms a solid backing for that portion Aof the tip.

The fit oi the portion 19 in the 'terrule is such as to aid in retaining` the tip in position in conjunction with the screw threaded end lvof the stud 14 into which the tip is screwed.

Prior to attaching` the tip a strong spring 21 is placed inthe terrule as seen in Tfigure 2 the terminals oit' which are arranged to present approximately continuons bearing;` surfaces 22 and 23 for the collar 15 and tip 17.

For the best results the tip when screwed in place should have close cont-act with the spring` 21 and in fact it is preferable to so crowd the `tip in place. that the tendency would be to compress the spring, if it were a light one, but in the present instance the tendency is to compress the material of the tip against the spring` which might yield slightly but it is not intended that it shall at this time to any noticeable eXtent. ln fact it is the desire and intention to so closely associate that portion of the tip and spring that at the time of shock. due to ball impact, that portion of the tip will be in condition to instantly transmit at least a portion of the shock to the spring.

It will be understood that it is not the intention to so arrange the spring` that it will absorb all the shock at each impact. as

.such arrangement has been found to be detrimental to ball control, but rather that the shock is divided in such manner that even in light impact it is partially absorbed by the spring` and noticeable to the player and yet not detrimental to the control of the ball.

Figure 4- of the drawing shows n part oi' the cue in section with the hatching omitted to better explain the condition just nienu tioned.

lcrcing the tip onto the screw thread 16 compresses the material B0 preferably leather) surrounding the stud so that a tendency to compress the sprinp- 21 is al nys present so that when ball impact takes plare that portion will be further forced against the sprin` which will yield slightly` the amount depei'idingr upon the force of impart. but in any case not sniliciently to npse'. accurate ball control but just enounh lo prei'ent splitting' of the cue end and result in pleasurable cue to use.

lVhen ball impact takes place a portion of the shock thereof will follow approximately the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 4.

Freni the foregoing` it will be seen that it is not the intention to simply provide a eue tip with a spring' backing` but rather to proride a backing); or foundation. for the tip that is partiallisolid and nnyielding and partially \fieldin,.f2j. which combination in pra .ze has produced the results desired. and which so far as is known is new in the art.

The construction and arrangement herein shown. is the preferred 'form but it is obvious that slight changes therein might be made without departing.` from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Haring` described the invention I claim:

ln a cue of the class described. a shaft: a ierrule at the end thereof adapted to support a tip. said ferrule also forming a chain-- ber at the end of said shaft; a shoulder tip. portions of which are normally under slie'ln compression and adapted to be supported by said ferrnle and haring; an extension adapted to enter said chamber and occupy portion thereof: a. stud havingT screw threaded ends one of which engages the end of said shaft. the other engaging; the said tip, said stud haring a collar thereon contacting with the end of said shaft; and :i spring in said chamber and interposed between said collar and said tip and normally under slight compression. whereby shock imparted to said tip by ball impact will. be transmitted to and absorbed b i`v said spring.

Signed by me at Boston. llaf,.... this 11th day of Septembern 1922.

JOHN MA GONO.

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